Leaders urge full implementation of Minsk peace deal in 2016

BERLIN (Reuters) - The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine agreed in a phone call on Wednesday that the Minsk peace deal for Ukraine must be fully implemented next year and said their foreign ministers would meet in one month to assess progress, the German government said in a statement.

The statement from deputy government spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz also said that during the phone call the four leaders had stressed the importance of respecting the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine and pulling heavy weapons from the region.

"The coming days should be used to consolidate the ceasefire," the statement said. Foreign ministers would meet in late January or early February to assess progress in implementing Minsk.